Speaker & Business Coach

for creative

Entrepreneurs & Freelancers

You have a unique creative gift. Let me help you share it with the world!

hi, I’m Justine.

As a business coach, I help creative entrepreneurs and freelancers build purpose-driven and profitable creative businesses.

Are you:

an experienced creative professional at a crossroads in your creative career or business?

leaving an in-house or agency career to start a business of your own, or re-positioning an existing business?

confused about how to market yourself to the clients you want?

feeling stuck. You know you need to do something, but with so many options (and opinions) available, you become paralyzed and do nothing.

If you answered “yes” to any of these, but are missing the exact steps you need to make your goals a reality, I can help.

With 15+ years of experience in creative representation, and a proven track record of making the perfect match between independent creative professionals and top-tier clients and brands, I understand the specific marketing and business challenges you face, as well as what your ideal clients need to see, hear, and experience to say “yes”. Through a series of clear, actionable steps, I will help you gain clarity and confidence around what makes you stand out in the market place, create an authentic marketing message, and position yourself to get the clients you want.

Are you ready to make monumental changes in your creative business and life?

“Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art. Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art.”

— Andy Warhol

work with me

If you’re ready to attract the clients you want, and start getting paid what you’re worth, I can help. The following packages have been created to meet you wherever you are on your entrepreneurial journey. Let me help you find the perfect one for you!

Launch Your Creative Business

Are you a high-level creative entrepreneur or freelancer looking to launch or re-position your business to attract more high-quality, well-paying clients? I will teach you how to position yourself uniquely within the market place, create an authentic marketing message and strategy, price and package your services, and convert ideal prospects into loyal clients.

Grow Your Creative Business

Are you a creative business owner looking to step away from the day-to-day running of your business, so you can focus on strategy, getting new clients, and building your dream team? I will help you position yourself uniquely in the marketplace, find and connect with your ideal clients, and build a foundation for the profitable and fulfilling business you want to have.

Creative Business Bootcamp (Group Program)

Are you a freelancer or creative business owner who’s tired of hustling for projects, and looking to create a steady stream of income doing work you love? I will take you through the steps you need to gain clarity around what makes you unique and stand out in the crowd, who your ideal clients are and what they need, and how to build genuine relationships that translate into paying clients.

"Working with Justine was a life-changing experience! Before hiring Justine, I felt my life has stagnated and I was paralyzed. I was in an unhappy relationship and worked in a full- time job that made me unhappy. Justine’s coaching has given me the confidence to get out of the rut and reach for everything I ever wished for. I quit my job, broke up with my boyfriend, and I am now a full-time illustrator with a contract in a well-known illustration agency. I am living the life I dreamed of! Justine helped me identify my ideal clients, helped me build a high-quality portfolio, get clear on my business strategies, and future goals, but most importantly Justine helped me find my true self again! I am excited about what the future will bring. Thanks for this awesome ride, Justine! It’s been amazing!!"

— Ruth Moosbrugger, illustrator

"Justine helped me re-structure the way I thought about my business. After neglecting my branding and design business to focus on my start-up I was in the desperate position of needing to quickly bring in new work that paid well. Justine helped me figure exactly who I wanted to work with, what I had that they needed, and how to make it easy for them to select me as the perfect match for their challenges. A few months later I have three new big clients, probably the best I’ve ever had, and know exactly how to grow my business from here on. I just need to execute. Working with Justine is the single best advice I would give any creative business owner looking to grow their business quickly and consistently - period."

— David Muller, creative director

"Sometimes you need someone to take a fresh look at what you're doing. I had plateaued and wasn't sure of my next steps. I thought it would be best if that person had a solid understanding of what I did to be really to be helpful to me. Justine not only had a great understanding of my business, but her insight was invaluable to me. She helped me focus on what is important and what was a distraction and has shown me how to get out of my own way and onto the path I want to be on."

— Joy Yagid, Fine Art & Event Photographer

"There will always be people who come into your life that make a positive change, and then there are those who completely turn your life upside down, in a good way! For me, that was meeting Justine in New York. Justine was established, and I was not. And yet, she saw my potential and she believed in me. She guided me through the hard world of becoming an artist. She taught me to not take things personally, to be professional, to be on time, to stand tall and to dream BIG, to give every job 100%. Most importantly, she taught me to believe in myself. Today, Justine is still my mentor and I recommend her to anyone who is looking for expert advice on building their career or business!"

— Megan Hess, illustrator

"I worked with Justine to identify potential clients, rethink my pricing and service offerings, and reorganize the website for my editorial consulting firm. In addition to one-on-one sessions, my team and I completed the exercises Justine gave us and evaluated virtually every area of our business. The results are now in, with nearly twice as much billing for the first quarter of 2018 over the previous year. As they say, "It works if you work it!"

— Deborah Gaines, founder of Deborah Gaines Associates

"Justine was an excellent resource to help grow my business and get my head on straight. As a small business owner, finding the time to invest in our marketing has always been a challenge. I lacked clear focus and found myself floundering to implement too many initiatives instead of honing in on the ones that had the most impact. Justine was willing to customize her package to address our immediate need which was assistance with our major rebrand. I needed someone to show us where to begin, course correct along the way, but most importantly, hold me accountable. We couldn't have launched our new website, blog, and newsletter without her guidance. Through Justine's program, we were able to identify the most effective ways to reach our ideal clients, and our business has been growing steadily ever since. Thanks again!"

— George Costello, Owner of Costello Creative Group

“Before working with Justine, I felt like I was running in circles in my business. I’d been working with clients off and on for nearly a decade as a graphic designer, but I was constantly bouncing from one idea to the next, trying to make them all work. I didn’t have clear consistent messaging that set me apart, even though I preached the importance of it to my own clients. Justine helped me focus my energy and ambition in the direction that would grow my business; find and articulate my unique messaging; and feel more confident in raising my prices because of the value I created around my offerings. As a direct result of working with Justine, I signed two ideal clients (at my new higher rates) in one month! I also feel more confident in my branding, systems and processes, and marketing. I would recommend working with Justine to anyone!”

— Lena Eliza, Brand and website design

"Working with Justine was the best decision I could have made! The months we’ve been working together have been the most defining and productive ones since starting my business in 2013. Apart from being a very experienced business person in the creative field, Justine is also a very warm and compassionate person. She pushed me outside of my comfort zone and we worked through the roadblocks holding me back from having the business I wanted to have. Before working with Justine, I had trouble setting and achieving goals, writing quotes, charging enough for my work, and budgeting. I now have a simple and quick system for writing quotes, am confident about charging what I’m worth, and am more confident setting boundaries and expectations for my clients. Thanks to our work together, I am very clear on what I want to achieve and what the necessary steps are to reach my goals, I know exactly what my strengths are and how I can incorporate them into my business to achieve my goals. I have made huge progress, not only in business but also in my personal life and can’t wait to see what the coming year brings!"

— Lucille Solomon, medical and scientific illustrator, Switzerland

"Working with Justine for the 90-minute call was the best decision I could have made! I have recently decided to pivot my career focus, but was having a hard time articulating exactly what it was I wanted to do. I knew I had all the pieces of the puzzle but needed an outside perspective to help me focus and concentrate my efforts. Justine was extremely helpful: first emphasizing the need to pare down my offerings (even though I can do something doesn’t mean that I have to), as well as the need to bring everything under one umbrella so that prospective clients can get the full picture. I now feel fully equipped to create a new positioning statement and start networking with a clear message. Working with Justine gave me the clarity to move forward confidently and effectively."

— Sarah Jones, artist and art director

“My time working with Justine was invaluable and helped me get to the great place I am now in my creative career. Helping me identify my niche in educational and non-profit clients made it so much easier to focus on where I wanted to look for a job. When I saw the posting for my dream position, I was confident from the very start that I would be hired. I just accepted the job and can’t wait to get started. Thank you, Justine!”

— Karen Klinedinst, Designer and artist

“My experience working with Justine was absolutely excellent! I'm a copywriter who'd become reluctant to even apply for freelance opportunities due to embarrassment over an outdated website and several less-than-recent writing samples. In our bonus 45-minute one-on-one session, Justine provided a clear, elegant solution to this problem and an immediate path forward, so I now know what steps to take on my own. This has given me clarity and confidence, which I know will enable me to bring in new clients, more gigs, and an additional income!”

— Deborah Schull, CEO and Creative Director of Cultural Roadmapp

“Almost as soon as the bootcamp started, I felt a subtle but real shift in my mindset and the phone didn’t stop ringing.”

— Jennifer Cox, Filmmaker

“Justine is a brilliant “creative whisperer”. Working with her as I switched paths and started my company, brought me clarity, confidence and most importantly, sanity. Her process is based on logical and actionable steps and her reassuring calm and fun demeanor gave me the confidence I needed. She was instrumental in helping me create a clear plan for building a successful business. And it doesn’t hurt that she has deep well of contacts to call on to help with the myriad of details in building one’s business. I have sent many grateful friends to her and two years in, she remains a valued and trusted counsel.”

— Alex Bates, Creative Director, founder, Flint & Kent

“Before working with Justine, I was focusing on attracting the wrong clients in my food photography business. Justine helped me stop getting caught up in the day-to day and start looking at my business like a CEO. We identified my strengths, who my clients are, and created a master plan to help me reach my goals. I love working with Justine because she keeps me on my toes and her enthusiasm, drive, and smarts made me want to work harder and smarter at my business every day!”

— Evi Abeler, food photographer

“Justine has helped me turn 25 years of professional experience inside PR agencies into a fresh new brand of my own. The money I spent on Justine was one of the best investment I have ever made. As a result of our work together, I know who my ideal clients are; I am comfortable holding out for them; and I have the confidence to ask for - and command - the fees that I deserve.”

— Nancy Weltchek, Weltchek Writes

“My experience working with Justine Clay was amazing! Having worked with other coaches who end up being "therapists" or "guidance counselors", Justine was a partner. She got involved in the work- helping me to curate my collection, write and rewrite my statements, plan the design, layout and content for my website all in 1 VIP day! I felt that she was more than a coach but rather a business partner. My only regret is that I didn't work with her sooner!”

— Alyssa Peek, photographer and artist

“After 18 years of art directing, I realized I needed to define myself and learn how to talk about my specific strengths and experiences when seeking clients and jobs. Working with Justine gave me the clear insight I needed to effectively edit my skills and really narrow in on the things that make me, me. It was truly a valuable experience that ultimately led me to a dream job. Thank you!!”

— Amy Demas, Creative Director

“Justine's guidance and encouragement were invaluable in helping me clarify the unique value that I offer and increasing my confidence in marketing my services. Her distinct perspective was a major asset as I developed the core messages and content that were critical to launching an improved website. Before working with Justine, I took on any project; now I am able to focus on those that offer the greatest benefit to both me and my clients.”

— Lydia Hooper, designer and creative consultant

“Change. That word best describes what Justine has done for me. I started working with her when I had the merest glimmer of an idea of what I wanted to do and she helped me to clarify and build that idea into something real that has transformed me. She is smart, well-connected and energetic. She is the magic tonic that makes things happen.”

— Linda Kocur, founder of Miss Boxwood Paper Goods

“Justine is a joy to work with. She is very good at simplifying, focusing and strategizing. She has sharp vision from many angles, great ideas, and a wealth of knowledge and connections. She has very good intuition, and has guided my work and process in a much better direction for me. She is savvy, elegant, direct and generous. I highly recommend her, and do so to my friends.”